What’s Considered Property Maintenance?

What is Property Maintenance?

Property maintenance refers to the care and upkeep of a home or building and its surrounding landscape. This includes both exterior and interior maintenance to keep the property in good working order and visual appeal.

Some examples of common property maintenance tasks include:

• Lawn care – Mowing, watering, fertilizing, weed/pest control, etc. This keeps lawns green and lush.

• Landscaping – Pruning trees/shrubs, planting flowers, maintaining garden beds. This keeps curb appeal high.

• Exterior cleaning – Power washing siding, windows, outdoor furniture. This removes mold, mildew, dirt buildup.

• Interior cleaning – Vacuuming, mopping, dusting. This removes allergens and keeps home fresh.

• HVAC maintenance – Replacing air filters, servicing heating/cooling system. This optimizes efficiency.

• Appliance maintenance – Replacing water filters, descaling, etc. This extends appliance lifespan.

• Hardware repairs/updates – Fixing leaky faucets, squeaky floors/doors, damaged walls or ceilings.

Proper maintenance keeps homes comfortable, efficient, safe and appealing over the long run. It also prevents minor issues from becoming major expensive repairs down the road.

Importance of Property Maintenance

Consistent property maintenance brings many benefits for homeowners:

Preserves Home Value

Routine maintenance keeps homes in better shape. This directly translates to higher property value. Well-cared for homes simply sell for more.

Curb appeal plays a significant role too. Manicured landscaping and a freshly-painted exterior imply the interior is equally well-kept. This makes buyers more eager to purchase.

Save Money

Property maintenance stops small problems from snowballing into costly repairs. Replacing an old roof before leaks occur avoids ceiling, wall and floor damage. Servicing an HVAC system improves efficiency, lowering energy bills.

The savings add up greatly over time. So preventative maintenance is much cheaper than delaying until something breaks.

Enhances Safety and Comfort

When appliances, systems and hardware function properly, daily living is more convenient and secure. Faulty electrical wiring risks fires and shocks for instance. Poor insulation makes homes uncomfortably cold.

Making timely repairs reduces hazards around the home. It also keeps properties working the way they should for enhanced comfort.

Increases Lifespan

 

Home components like roofs, siding, windows, appliances and more have shorter lifespans without proper care. But diligent maintenance keeps these items functioning longer before requiring replacement. This saves thousands over the years.

So putting some periodic work into caring for your property ultimately extends its usable lifespan significantly.

Key Areas of Focus for Property Maintenance

Certain elements of property maintenance provide the most value. Make these tasks a top priority:

Landscaping – Well-groomed yards with eye-catching flower beds/plants create great first impressions. Trees, shrubs and lawns require ample watering and nutrients too. Professional lawn service pays dividends for many homeowners.

Gutters – Clogged gutters overflow and cause moisture damage. This leads to expensive repairs of sidings, roofs and foundations. Keep them clear of debris through regular cleaning.

HVAC – Heating/cooling systems run more efficiently with new filters and annual tune-ups by technicians. This optimization lowers energy consumption. It also prevents complete unit breakdowns.

Appliances – Refrigerators, washers, dryers and more operate best when properly maintained. Replace water filters as needed. Descale mineral buildup to improve performance.

Roof Inspections – Roof damage is often invisible from ground level. But small leaks can turn to large holes that destroy insulation, drywall and beyond. Hire inspectors to examine shingles and flashings so issues get addressed promptly.

Chimneys – Creosote buildup heightens fireplace/stove fire risks and lowers efficiency. Chimney cleanings every few years eliminate this. Inspectors also check for physical damage, animals and blockages during visits.

Implementing a Property Maintenance Schedule

Handling dozens of maintenance tasks for an entire home seems daunting. Breaking responsibilities down into more manageable timeframes simplifies things greatly.

Follow this general timeline as a template:

 

Daily

• Quick home pick up
• Check HVAC filters
• Wipe kitchen/bath surfaces
• Vacuum high traffic areas
• Remove clutter

Weekly

• Laundry
• Dusting
• Scrub bathrooms
• Vacuum/mop entire home
• Yard debris removal
• Gutter cleaning

Monthly

• HVAC filter replacement
• Inspect fire extinguishers
• Check exterior for damage
• Test smoke/CO detectors
• Flush hot water heaters
• Clean range hood filters

Quarterly

• Compare utility bills for abnormal spikes
• Inspect weather stripping around doors/windows
• Examine basement/crawlspaces for moisture problems
• Test garage door auto-reverse function
• Check caulking around showers/tubs
• Flush water supply lines

Annually

• Schedule professional deep cleans for carpets/ducts
• Power wash exterior siding
• Drain and refill hot water heaters
• Replace smoke detector batteries
• Examine the roof and attic for leaks/damage
• Service heating, cooling and ventilation systems
• Trim back vegetation contacting home exterior
• Schedule chimney sweeping
• Repair/replace any damaged shingles, gutters etc.

Beyond the home itself, managing the yard and landscaping also takes year-round effort:

Fall

• Rake leaves
• Drain/store hoses
• Mulch garden beds
• Fertilize lawns
• Prune trees/shrubs

Winter

• Monitor snow buildup on roofs
• Remove icicles
• Prune dormant trees
• Check landscaping features for damage from snow or ice

Spring

• Test irrigation systems
• Sharpen lawnmower blades
• Fertilize lawns/plants
• Edge garden beds
• Control early weeds
• Prune dead branches from bushes/trees

Summer

• Water plants 1-2 inches per week
• Mow lawns weekly
• Apply grub control treatments
• Weed flower beds
• Deadhead spent blooms
• Monitor plants for disease/pests

What Constitutes Property Maintenance Neglect?

Property neglect occurs when maintenance fails sufficiently over longer periods. Building exteriors degrade visibly from weathering, paint peels, roofs leak and landscaping dies off. Appliances break down more frequently and HVAC systems run inefficiently.

Interior damages happen too like water leaks warping floors or mold taking hold in wet areas. Other classic warning signs of neglect include:

• Numerous small repairs left unfinished
• Major component failures from lack of servicing
• Declining curb appeal as yards become unkempt
• Musty stale odors inside indicating poor venting
• Presence of moisture damage/rot in various areas
• Significantly higher utility costs over time

Before home values get impacted, reversing negligence requires extensive work – including repairs, deep cleanings, replacements and removals. Avoid finding yourself in this scenario through proper ongoing maintenance.

Professional Property Maintenance Assistance

For homeowners lacking the tools, abilities or simply the time to handle all basic maintenance themselves, hiring professionals makes sense. The costs pay dividends through added home value and fewer large unexpected repair bills long-term.

• Handymen tackle a wide variety of small tasks – from drywall patching to assembling furniture.
• Lawn care companies handle yard upkeep responsibilities.
• Cleaners perform deep scrubbing of surfaces inside.
• Licensed electricians, plumbers and HVAC companies address any issues in those trades.

And general contractors coordinate and execute larger scale remodeling projects or tricky repairs. They submit required permits, provide crew/equipment rentals and oversee quality end results. This lifts huge burdens off homeowners dealing with complex maintenance needs.

The Bottom Line

Caring for your largest asset requires dedication and effort. But consistent property maintenance done properly saves thousands of dollars over a lifetime. It also ensures homes remain safe, comfortable and highly functional for many decades to come.

Follow the checklists here guiding necessary tasks by season and pay special attention to priorities like landscaping, roofing and HVAC. Handle smaller jobs yourself or hire affordable local help so they don’t turn to costly headaches later. Your home’s value and your wallet will thank you.

If you are looking for a property maintenance company to handle residential, commercial, or industrial maintenance services, reach out to us here at Octo Property Services to see how we can help!